


Does He Understand Latin?

by Fiddle_Faddle



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Feelings, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25497751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiddle_Faddle/pseuds/Fiddle_Faddle
Summary: Collection of short ficlets (around 100-200 words each) for various Tim/minor character pairings that I wrote while rereading the Robin and Red Robin comics. There is a ficlet for each of his civilian friends, as well as some other random characters.
Relationships: Bernard Dowd/Tim Drake, Tim Drake/Ali Ben Khadir, Tim Drake/Buzz Cohen, Tim Drake/Danny Temple, Tim Drake/Hudson, Tim Drake/Jared Walton, Tim Drake/Karl Ranck, Tim Drake/Kevin Hudman, Tim Drake/Killa 'Nilla, Tim Drake/Kip Kettering, Tim Drake/Klarion, Tim Drake/Kyle Reinhardt, Tim Drake/Sebastian Ives, Tim Drake/Wesley Thomas, Tim Drake/Zeddmore Washington
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Does He Understand Latin?

**Author's Note:**

> This was basically just a challenge to make literally everyone gay for Tim. I think I did pretty well, if I do say so myself.

Karl Ranck (Robin II The Joker’s Wild Vol. 1)

Tim's rejection stung.

It wasn't… Karl wasn’t _jealous_ or anything lame like that. He just… didn't understand. Tim could have been friends with anyone. He was rich, he was cool, he was attractive (objectively speaking, Karl wasn't attracted to him, no way). But he hung out with losers like Ives and Hudson when he could have hung out with football players and cheerleaders instead. Karl didn't get it. Why would Tim choose them over him? What could they possibly have that he didn't? Acne? Karl didn't know, and it pissed him off. 

All he knew for sure was that if Tim kept hanging around useless losers who couldn't defend themselves from a papercut, he was going to end up getting hurt. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He had to get through to Tim, one way or another. 

Kevin Hudman (Robin II The Joker’s Wild Vol. 3)

 _Drake the Flake has done it again_ , Kevin thought to himself. It was seven o’clock at night, an hour past the time they agreed to meet for Warlocks and Warriors night, and Tim was nowhere to be seen. It was just him, Hudson, and Ives. Such a bummer. They couldn’t play with only the three of them and Tim was the best DM they had (when he actually showed up and stayed the entire time). Sometimes he wondered why they even bothered inviting him, and whether Tim even wanted to be invited in the first place. But then he remembered Tim’s enthusiasm for the game when he stuck around. It was easy to sink into a story when Tim was telling it with his soothing voice, while looking into his deep blue eyes... Okay yeah, he’d put up with a little flakiness for that.

Kyle Reinhardt (Robin #22)

In theory, the ninja camp had _seemed_ like the better option than Camp Flabaway to Kyle. However, the sensei turned out to not be very good at the whole _training_ aspect of his job. His teaching style basically boiled down to yelling insults and whacking the students with sticks. 

Kyle probably wouldn't have been hit with sticks at Camp Flabaway.

There was one silver lining, though, he did make a friend. Alvin Draper was much more equipped to handle the so-called training than him, but he never made Kyle feel embarrassed or like he was a burden, like many people had. Like the sensei had, when Kyle hadn't been able to hold back tears of pain. In fact, Alvin had defended him against the barrage of ridicule with an impressive flying kick to the back of the sensei's head (at least someone had learned something). 

Just thinking about Alvin defending him like that caused a fluttering in Kyle's chest that had nothing to do with his asthma.

Hudson (Robin #58)

Ives was the one who wanted to prove to Tim that the monster was real. Hudson should have protested more than he did, but… well, he would have been lying if he said he didn’t want to impress Tim, too. The guy was a mystery. He was a part of their nerd crew, but he also kept some distance, often making excuses to bail early when they hung out. Hudson probably would have been annoyed at anyone else for flaking out on game nights, but there was just something about Tim that made it hard to be mad at him, that made him want to _impress_ him. The thought of breaking through Tim’s cool exterior had been too tempting. Well… just look where that had gotten him: trapped in an abandoned building, about to become a monster’s midnight snack. At least, until Robin had shown up to save him and Ives from such an inglorious end. 

Man oh man, was Hudson glad that Tim hadn’t been around to see him running away with his tail between his legs. 

Ali Ben Khadir (Robin #78-80)

Ali looked out the car window, watching as the school disappeared. He would always remember Brentwood nostalgically, if not without some… mixed feelings. It was unfortunate that he had to leave the way he did, after Arrakhat attacked and killed Zugir. He was just glad Tim had been out of the room that night and hadn’t been hurt.

Tim. 

He’d miss Tim more than anything, once he returned to Dhabar. It had been nice to have a roommate with whom he shared so many interests. They could (and would) talk forever about old Sci-fi, kick around a soccer ball, and play video games all night instead of studying. 

He knew he had made the right choice, he couldn’t run from his responsibilities anymore - no matter how nice it had been to just be a kid for a brief time. But still, he would regret losing the chance to get to know Tim better. They could still e-mail, but it just wasn’t as good as being face-to-face.

Kip Kettering (Robin #81)

Kip was used to getting mocked for his, admittedly, eccentric interests, Most people just didn’t understand the complexity of the books he read. Tim had been different, though. He may not have shared the same interests as him, but he had never judged him too harshly for them either. Sure, he might have ribbed him a bit, but it had always been good natured, not mean-spirited. At least, that was until Tim had made a _fool_ of him in front of his favorite author. Kip had never in his life felt so betrayed by someone he thought he could trust, someone he was really beginning to like. That hurt worse than the embarrassment had.

Then, Tim had done something even more shocking. He had apologized. Not only that, but he had, through some miracle, gotten his hands on _signed and personalized_ first edition copies of every single Roman Rhoades book. Just for him. No one had ever done something so thoughtful for him before. It was a nice feeling, that someone had cared enough about him to try so hard to make up for hurting him. Tim really was someone he could trust. 

Danny Temple (Robin #88)

"So is a 'transitional phase' code for 'she broke up with me and I don't want to admit it' or what?" Danny asked, as they settled into their hotel room in Ethel Cay.

Tim shrugged. "More like code for 'we broke up with each other and are still bitter about it, but hopefully we'll be friends again someday.'"

"Then this is the perfect trip for you. You can take advantage of your new found freedom." Danny said, sagely. He wasted no time dragging Tim out to enjoy whatever nightlife there was to be found. 

They returned to the hotel an hour later - in defeat. Not for lack of trying on Danny's part. Tim turned down every hot girl or guy Danny tried to point him toward. It would've been impressive if it wasn't so frustrating. 

"You," Danny said, grabbing Tim's face in his hands, "need to learn how to loosen up." Then he leaned in and kissed him. 

Tim didn’t respond immediately, and Danny almost pulled away. Before he could, though, Tim finally (finally!) sunk into the kiss, pulling Danny closer. And damn, the guy was good. His ex was an idiot for letting him go.

Buzz Cohen (Robin #93-94)

He could have hurt Tim. That was all Buzz could think about, even as Dean Nederlander was calling his parents, even as he was getting the chewing out of a lifetime. He could have hurt Tim. And what for? Because he dropped a box on him? In the moment he’d been enraged, but looking back on it, he just had to shake his head at himself. What a stupid thing to get mad about. Tim didn’t do it on purpose, he was a great guy. Almost too great really. He was smart, and kind, and just generally fun to be around (even if a little geeky). And that wasn’t even mentioning how good looking he was, Buzz wasn’t afraid to admit it. Tim could have gotten all the girls in Nassau (they kept asking about him) but instead he punked out. Danny said he had a girlfriend. Not surprising.

And Buzz could have hurt him. 

This had been the first time Buzz had really reconsidered his decision to not take anything for his ‘bad temper.’ He really did not want to go on medication, but after this he wasn’t so sure anymore. Not if it meant hurting someone like Tim.

Wesley Thomas (Robin #98)

Wesley’s parents had never been around much. One day, when they were gone, Wesley snuck a drink from the liquor cabinet. His parents didn’t notice. Nor did they notice the next time, or the next several times. It wasn’t until he showed up to school completely hammered that they finally found out and sent him to Brentwood. Being shunted aside to boarding school so his parents didn’t have to deal with him just made him want another drink. No one would notice that he hid vodka in some mouthwash bottles if he made sure everything was clean and neat and orderly.

Except… that wasn’t the case. His roommate noticed. Tim could have just brushed Wesley off as a cranky asshole (like everyone else had), but he didn't. He cared enough to find out what his problem was _and_ to find a way to help him overcome it. At first Wesley had been pissed, but after he had sobered up and spent some time at the support group Tim had recommended, he was grateful. Tim had really helped him out. Wesley would do his best to stay sober. For Tim, if not for his own sake.

All the Brentwood Boys (Robin #100)

The night after Tim had left Brentwood, the guys gathered in the Totley Hall common room. Buffy was on the TV, courtesy of Tim’s gifted DVD player, and random snacks and sodas were strewn about the room. No one was really paying much attention to either, thought, lost in their own thoughts. 

“It’s just not the same without Tim,” Kip said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” Wesley agreed.

Buzz nodded. “He was the only eye candy we had around here.” When the others just stared at him, he shrugged his shoulders. “What? It’s true. You’ve all thought it, I just said it. He was prettier than some of the chicks in Nassau.”

There was a murmur of general agreement, the guys nodding their heads. “Don’t you ever think of anything other than how attractive someone is?” Kip asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Buzz thought for a moment. “Nope.”

Bernard Dowd (Robin #121-122)

Bernard had been hanging out at the tree, waiting for the homeroom bell to ring when the hottest guy he had ever seen walked by. The guy was obviously new - Bernard made a point to know everyone at Louis E. Grieve High School but he had never seen _him_ before. He had to find out more about him. 

The guy, Tim, turned out to be quite a mystery; Bernard couldn’t get a beat on him right away. Tim had the build of a jock, the brains of a nerd, and he dressed like a punk. But he wasn’t really any of those things. Bernard couldn’t help but be intrigued, especially after he showed up on the second day of school with a killer shiner and then faced the senior class football players with fearless confidence. 

The guy was a mystery. And, well, Bernard loved mysteries. 

Killa ‘Nilla (Robin #150-151)

“I ain’t never been nobody’s bitch.” Killa ‘Nilla said. “ I’ve always been a… what you call it? An independent business man. Got no time to deal with some fool trying to run me around. Ya dig? So when Robin rolled up, I wasn’t buying what he was selling. I ain’t no snitch, and that wasn’t gonna change. Not for no mask, uh-uh. That shit’s bad for business, yo. But Robin made a convincing plea. It took some time to thrash out the details...” 

And one of 'Nilla's molars, he failed to mention. 

“But then I was seeing things Robin’s way. The dude’s scary good like that.” 

And just plain scary. ‘Nilla also failed to mention the heat that pooled in his gut whenever Robin roughed him up. The little thrill that went up his spine whenever Robin was pleased with his info. 

Yeah, it was a very beneficial partnership, indeed.

Jared Walton (Robin #154-156)

Jared prided himself on being the richest kid in school. He may not have been a star football player or on the path to valedictorian, but at least he had all the latest tech. As they say, he who dies with the most toys wins. 

Then, Tim Drake got adopted by Bruce _fucking_ Wayne. And Jared no longer had the most toys.

But hey, if he didn’t have the most toys, he could still hang with the one who did. He could play the sycophant if necessary. And maybe he wasn’t completely out of the running just yet. All he had to do was find out what Tim didn’t have and get it for himself.

After getting kidnapped and shot, however, his priorities changed. It didn’t matter what Tim had that he didn’t anymore. The guy was on a whole other level. He had stayed so calm despite the danger they were in, even managing to escape the kidnappers. Jared was beyond impressed, and a bit embarrassed at his own actions in hindsight. Tim didn’t hold it against him, though. Jared could have pulled a Zoanne and kissed him for that, but didn’t want to be presumptuous. 

Klarion (Robin #157-158)

After Uriah was defeated, Klarion lamented the fact that he still had work to do. If he hadn’t had to return the Draagas back to their respective partners, he would have liked to spend some time getting to know Robin. The other boy was quite fascinating. He tried to help Teekl before he even understood what he was getting into, and even after he understood he continued to help Klarion. He would clearly make a good ally, a good friend, a good partner. 

Sadly, Robin (Tim) seemed to carry a lot of grief and guilt over people he blamed himself for not saving. He didn’t give himself enough credit for the people he _did_ save. He really was a Protector of Friends, Klarion hoped he could come to see himself as such.

And someday soon he would get to see Tim again, when their paths crossed - Klarion knew they would, felt it deep in his bones. He looked forward to it.

Zeddmore Washington (Red Robin #4)

When his master put him on this mission, Z was secretly pleased. He knew better than to admit it out loud, but he found Tim Drake intriguing. Their paths were completely different, and yet much the same. Serving Ra’s al Ghul in all things, killing without hesitation, gave Z’s life meaning. Serving the Batman in all things, protecting lives at all costs, gave Tim’s life meaning. Their lives were mirror images of each other. One soaked in light, one soaked in blood.

When Ra’s had died, Z had lost all meaning in his life. That was how he recognized the look in Tim Drake’s eyes now. A familiar look of the dead, the light mirror darkened. With Batman gone, Tim was feeling the exact same emptiness Z himself had felt. It pained Z to see it on Tim’s face, to see the hint of blood threatening to seep into his once bright reflection. He was sure that if Batman returned, Tim would return to the land of the living as well. For once, Z would help to save a life. 

His mirror reflection would be light again, the blood washed away.

Sebastian Ives (Red Robin #17)

Ives had known Tim since they were freshman in high school. He was used to his random disappearing and reappearing acts, but that didn't mean it didn't worry him. It was obvious that Tim had difficulties in his family life (one doesn't change high schools like six times, then drop out completely just for fun), but Tim had always been rather secretive about it. Ives wished he could help with whatever problems Tim was facing, he'd gladly do anything he could for his best friend. But Tim always evaded any discussions that delved too deep. 

If all Ives could do was offer Tim some drama free friendship and try not to pry into things Tim was clearly looking to be distracted from, he'd do it. He wouldn't push, no matter how badly he wished Tim would confide in him.

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda want to write more Tim/Ives in the future, but I don't know if I will.


End file.
